Air cooled shoe



July 13, l1937. W WROTEN 2,086,790

AIR COOLED SHOE Filed Nov. e, 193s Snuentor W Wm 22m WM #hanne/g ma( Patented July 13, 1937 UNITED .STTY

insane 2 Claims.

'Ihe present invention relates to improvements in air cooled shoes and has for an object to provide an improved shoe construction in which ventilation is furnished to the interior of the 5 shoe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Ventilating attachment for shoes whereby the feet, particularly of walkers, will be maintained much-cooler.

A further object of the invention aims to prevent, or reduce, perspiration of the feet, and to assist in preventing athletes foot and other f oot4 diseases. A still further object of the invention is 'to provide an air cooled shoe of economical construction in which the standard construction of the shoe is not departed from and the appearance of the shoe remains substantially unchanged.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinai'ter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

f In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several Views.

Figure 1 is a bottom plan View, with parts broken away and parts shown in section, of an improved air cooled shoe constructed in accord- 30 ance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the improved shoe with parts broken away and parts shown in section. i Figure 3 is a crosssection taken on the line S5 3 3 in Figure 2.

. Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 in Figure l.

Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken through the intake valve and its casing, and

Figure 6 is a similar view of the outlet valve and its casing.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 'i designates a shoe of conventional form having eyelets 8 for the shoe-laces and a sole 9.

The heel of the shoe is constructed to function as a pump and air reservoir and for this purpose such heel lil is hollowed-out to form an interior air space Il. This air spa-ce is enclosed at its lower side by a rubber heel or lift l2 which makes an air-tight closure against the heel I!! all around the edges of the latter where the rubber fits closely thereagainst, being held in place by screws I3 or other fastenings.

Within the air space or reservoir l I there is (Cl. Sii- 3) a coil spring la having its ends abutting against plates l5 and i6; Advantageously this spring i4 is tapered or of frusto conical form with its uppermost convolution of greatest diameter and its lower helix ci smallest diameter, with the intermediate helices of the spring gradually diminishing in diameter'from the upper convolution to the lower helix. To accord with this frusto conical formation ofthe spring E4, the l spring will naturally move on the plate i5 but such plate will absorb the :friction and wear of the spring and prevent the same from being transmitted tothe heel or any part of the shoe. The lower plate it will act in a similar manner, avoiding any wear or friction of the spring upon the rubber lift i2. This lower plate i6 may be of a .smaller size or diameter. Both plates may be made of aluminum or other appropriate maH terial. The lift i2, being of rub-ber, will flex into the space il, when the weight of the wearer is placed upon the heel, causing the spring lil to contract and placing the air in the air reser- Voir il under pressure. This action will be increased due to irregularities in the pavement.

Air admitted into the air space il through a tube or pipe il which connects with one of the eyelets 3 of the shoe, preferably the top eyelet as shown from which clean air may be taken at a distance above the surface of the ground. The tube il is concealed between the lining 3@ and the outer leather 3l of the shoe and passes down through the top wall of the heel i0 and is there connected with a valve casing i8 communicating with the interior air space il and having a valve i9 therein yieldably closed, by spring 2t, vagainst a seat formed at the inner end of a cylindrical tubular plug 2i.

Air is circulated to the interior of the shoe from the space il by a tube or pipe 22 which connects at its rear end with the air space il` through a valve casing 23 embedded in the front wall of the heel. This valve casing 23 contains a tubular cylindrical plug 2d, the forward face of which constitutes a valve seat for a valve 25 ioy pressed yieldingly against such seat by a coil or other spring 26.

The tube 22 may be embedded in the sole 9 of the shoe. At its forward end it may open into the shoe in any suitable manner being preferably brought to a substantially central position within the shoe at its forward terminal end and having a mouth 21 opening upwardly into Ythe interior space of the shoe at the most confined part thereof. Preferably the tube 22 is attened or widened out at or near the mouth 21`to enlarge such mouth in order that the velocity of the air may be diminished at the point of outlet 2. This air moving at relatively great velocity, due to the pumping action, through the round narrow tube 22 will enter the fan-shaped outer portion 28 of the tube which is of larger diameter and, therefore, will reduce the velocity of the air to a considerable extent before discharging that air into the interior space of the shoe.

In the use of the device, the downward thrust of the coil spring I@ Vwill cause the rubber lift i2 to bulge outwardly in the manner indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, thus expanding the area of the air reservoir or chamber Il. When the weight of the wearer of the shoe descends upon the heel, the lift l2 will be compressed back into the position shown in full lines in Figure 2, thus acting as a plunger in a pump, to draw in and to expel air from, the reservoir or chamber H. When the rubber lift i2 is thus compressed, the coil spring i4 will be contracted and the intake i9 closed against its seat in the plug 2i. At the same time the pressure within the reservoir i l will exceed the load of the spring 25, requiring the opening of the outlet Valve 25 and causing the coniined air within the reservoir I l to be driven forward, by this pumping action, into the tube 22 and thus to the outlet 2l, where such air will be liberated in a quiet manner within the interior of the shoes to Ventilate the same and prevent the perspiration of the wearers feet. When, in the actI of walking, the wearer goes forward with his weight on the sole 9 of the shoe, lifting the heel, the coil spring id will expand forcing the lift i2 outwardly and tending to create a` partial vacuum within the reservoir H. .This vacuum will suck the valve 25 closed, in which action it will be aided by the coil spring 26. The same suction action will open the intake valve i9 against the force of its coil spring 2B and will draw air in through tube i7. On the next compressive action on the heel that air will be forced out, as hereinbefore eX- plained, through the tube 22 and into the shoe. As 'a person walks this performance is repeated with every step. The result is that the feet are maintained much cooler and kept substantially from perspiring to the end that a more healthful condition may be caused to prevail in the shoe.

The device will be found emcient in operation as it is simple in construction. The parts are not exposed and the air is taken in at the top of the angle at a considerable elevation above the surface of the pavement so that dust and foreign matter will not be drawn in through the intake tube. The device does not in any sense change the nature or form of the shoe or tend in any way to foot discomfort, The appearance of the shoe remains the same as the customary form and the cost of the Ventilating construction is very small. The only part subject to Wear is the rubber lift l2 which can be easily replaced at a cost no higher than that of replacing the heel which is now in use in all shoes.

It is obvious that various changes and modiflcations may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described Y embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shoe having a heel, sole and lacing eyelets in the upper of the shoe, said heel being hollowed-out to provide an air reservoir, a resilient lift secured to the heel at its side portions and having its intermediate part adapted to move in and out of the reservoir, spring means in the reservoir for tending to move the lift outwardly thereof, an air inlet tube connecting with one of the upper eyelets and extending down the side of the shoe and opening into the reservoir, an inwardly-opening check valve Vin said tube, a dscharge tube connecting with the air reservoir and with the interior space of the shoe, and an outwardly-opening check Valve in said discharge tube.

2. In a shoe having a heel and sole, said heel being hollowed-out interiorly to provide an air space having a front wall and side walls with an opening at its bottom, a resilient lift placed against the lower edges of said walls and secured thereto in an air tight manner, spring means within said heel adapted to force said lift downwardly, tubular casings embedded in said front wall, plugs in said casings having openings therethrough and valve seats therein, check valves movable in said casings, toward and away from said seats, spring means in the casings for urging the check valves to seated positions, tubes forming continuations of said tubular casings, Vone of said tubes being in communication with the outside atmospherey and forming an inlet tube, the check valve in said inlet tube opening inwardly with respect to the interior space of the heel, the other tube opening into the interior of the shoe andV forming a discharge tube, the check valve in said discharge tube casing opening outwardly with respect to the interior space of the heel.

LEO W. WROTEN. 

